Humanitarian organisations and journalists have expressed concerns after a leading satellite imagery company told its users it was restricting access to images of Iran and large parts of the Middle East following a request from the US government.
California-based Planet Labs initially introduced a 14-day delay on providing new imagery from the region in March. It has since moved to an indefinite restriction.
The decision has limited how journalists, humanitarian groups and analysts can use satellite images to assess the impact of the US-Israel war with Iran, including damage to military targets and civilian infrastructure.
It is unclear what prompted the US to press Planet to suspend its coverage and the Department of Defense did not respond to a request for comment.
Planet initially said its original 14-day delay policy was to ensure our imagery is not tactically leveraged by adversarial actors to target allied and Nato-partner personnel and civilians.
It said in a statement to BBC Verify that it was now switching to a system of managed distribution and would share selected images on a one-off basis until the security risk has abated.
It declined to say how extensive the restrictions were, but based on BBC Verify's access to the portal, it appears to extend across most of the Middle East, including Iraq, Lebanon, Israel, and Gaza.
One satellite imaging expert told BBC Verify that companies like Planet that have military contracts can sometimes implement voluntary compliance requests that are actually driven by commercial incentive structures.
BBC Verify has used Planet imagery across the Middle East in its reporting, including since the war in Iran began at the end of February - such as when a US strike on a school in the Iranian town of Minab.
The changes now mean that images taken after 9 March are no longer routinely available to the company's clients.
Satellite imagery has become a key tool for reporters, according to investigative journalist Benjamin Strick, who has worked for CNN, the Financial Times and the BBC. This is especially true for conflict zones, disasters and other restricted environments where reporters cannot safely access the scene or where information is tightly controlled, he said.
Planet's business model is similar to others in the industry. It has been expanding its work with the US defence sector, including the US National Geospatial Intelligence Agency and - through a subsidiary - the US Navy. It also works with the German and Swedish militaries.
Bill Greer, a geospatial analyst who previously worked at Maxar and co-founded the non-profit satellite service Common Space, noted that the number of defense contracts held by companies like Planet grants governments some degree of influence over them.
Greer also observed that humanitarian groups were affected by restrictions on satellite images. When an entire region goes dark indefinitely, it directly affects [their] ability to plan evacuations, assess damage, document human rights abuses and co-ordinate aid delivery, he said.
The charity Oxfam told BBC Verify it used satellite imagery to plan some of its logistics during live conflicts and disasters. The group's humanitarian lead, Magnus Corfixen, said that in Gaza - where Planet has also suspended coverage - satellite services helped it to run its water, sanitation, and hygiene (Wash) programme.
Harrison said he expects restrictions like those requested of Planet to become more common but increasingly more futile as the industry expands and new providers emerge across the globe.
Because dual-use technology like this has become increasingly democratized, it is making the modern battlefield more transparent for both sides than ever before.
